Warlords of Draenor - Flying Delayed Until First Major Patch, Hearthstone Beta Keys

There's a lot of discussion about flying/not-flying and I'd like to try to sum things up and maybe realign the discussion a bit. Some of the other threads are near-cap, some have really gone down tangents, so I'm just picking this one to throw a reply into. Apologies to the other threads.

We intend to disallow flying while leveling from 90 to 100, and have flying become available again in the first major patch for Warlords of Draenor. No flying while leveling has been the case during Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, and Mists of Pandaria. We allowed flying during Cataclysm because as those zones were mixed-in with the 1-60 world it just would have been really jarring to dismount you as you fly into Hyjal, etc. but we would have disallowed it for Catalcysm zones as well if there was a reasonable solution there.

Flying trivializes combat. A lot of people like to say we're trying to force world PvP, or that we just really want people to look at the pretty trees we made, but those really aren't the reasons that drive this same decision we've made every expansion. Flying allows you to escape or enter combat at-will. There's a reason why flying isn't allowed in dungeons and raids, or battlegrounds and arenas, and that's because it would trivialize the core mechanic of the game in those areas - combat. For much the same reason it trivializes how content is approached in the outdoor world based on the simple fact that you can lift off and set down wherever you like.

So that's the main reason. But sure there are a lot of other problems it can cause for content design such as zones having to get a lot bigger because flying mounts can travel so quickly (and thus making ground travel in them take much longer), it reduces the impact of elevation within zones, it completely removes the ability for us to pace or present content in any structured way, and in general removes our ability to determine how and when players approach a situation, see a vista or location, or charge into/out-of a combat situation. It just greatly reduces any gameplay we want to create by allowing infinite choice in how content is approached to best suit a player's intention to (usually) avoid that content.

I totally sympathize with people's desire to do that, they want to be efficient and have it be their choice, but we have to balance our intent to create a game against creating a sandbox where anything goes. There's a happy medium there somewhere, but flying mounts in most cases just do too much to undermine too many of our core intentions with the game world, the basis of the game: combat, or guiding players through a game experience, and for those reasons we have continually chosen (when we could) to disallow flying mounts in the 'current' outdoor content. In the past that's meant only while leveling, but in our experiences with the Isle of Thunder and Timeless Isle we feel like we can extend that for a bit longer in the new content, and have it be kind of a big deal again once you're able to earn flying in the first big content patch, and in the meantime putting focus on flight paths as well as having some more interesting travel options for players to use.

Battle.Net Desktop App Beta Testers - Hearthstone Beta Keys
If you tested the Battle.Net Desktop App during beta, you will be receiving a Hearthstone beta key in your email shortly! This is the special gift promised to beta testers.

The hearthstone beta key is stupid. I know a lot of people that got into the beta (myself included) that were in the Desktop app closed beta as well. What are we going to do with a second beta key when the game is going out of closed beta in like a month?

Personally looking forward to the expansion and Draenor's power to keep my Gryphon lethargic. Beyond the obvious PvP side to it I can see it being a nice experience as a whole - will enjoy exploring and getting that sense of danger from the wilderness in general! If it doesn't work out well, it doesn't work out well, nothing really to complain about beyond "Dead... again."

I gotta say I actually think I'm gonna love the no flying until the first patch hits. Sure it will be a bit inconvenient but it will make me love and appreciate the world and the work they put into making the world all the more so than I would just appreciating the trees, tall mountains and borders between the zones from atop my flying mount.

Do they want people to actually play their next expansion? feels like they wanna drive ppl away by removing choice.

flying whilst leveling felt manditory before though, it takes away from the experience, I for one was glad in MoP we didnt have flying until max level, delaying it to 6.1 however instead of just max level limitation, is more controversal, depends on how they build the world, I shall wait and see and complain IF it pisses me off once I hit max level and really want flying (like I did with alts in MoP) to get dailies done faster - then again, they've said no dailies so eh

The logic for not allowing flying is sound. It really enables you to bypass most things and trivializes any obstacles in the world. However, I can understand the frustration from the players who are against it. It's no fun not being able to use your favorite mounts that you've worked for and are proud of. It's a complicated situation.

My advice to anyone who's throwing their hands up and saying "I'm quitting! GG Blizzard!" is to wait. The expansion isn't even in closed beta yet. There's plenty of time for things to change. Nothing is set in stone until the expansion goes live.

I gotta say I actually think I'm gonna love the no flying until the first patch hits. Sure it will be a bit inconvenient but it will make me love and appreciate the world and the work they put into making the world all the more so than I would just appreciating the trees, tall mountains and borders between the zones from atop my flying mount.

who is forcing you to not use a ground mount?

'"Can your blood atone for genocide, orc? Your Horde killed countless innocents with its rampage across Stormwind and Lordaeron. Do you really think you can just sweep all that away and cast aside your guilt so easily? No, your kind will never change, and I will never stop fighting you."
- Grand Admiral Proudmoore